The Penn's Grove record., 1887-02-05

thing, and all our lovely times vanished.
| begged mother not to come to this
poky place, but father Is devoted to fish
ing-he never caught anything yet
aud it isn't too far for him to run up
here from Detroit; 50 here we are. l
know l shall have a miserable time"
mo, you won't" said her friend
reassuringly. 'It's Just bewitching out
on the river in the moonlight, and
here's a Lieut.. Rodney at the fort that's
| Just too handsome, and"
20 therel Excuse me, Blanche, but
l think that's the man with our
trunks" and Miss Black FASTENED to
look after the baggage.
A little later, as Mrs. Black and her
daughter were about to enter the dining
room. the former waited for some one
to come up to them and then said:
''Rhodora, let me introduce you to
Capt. Greene. He and your Uncle
VIII were old comrades"
'IIow do you do" said Miss Black,
trying to call up q smile for the sake of
her Uncle VIII. They found themselves
seated at Capt. Greene's table, and in
a few moments the waiter drew out the
chair opposite for a tall gentleman with
a tawny mustache and dark brown
eyes; his uniform denoted the rank of
nrst lieutenant. Rhodora had seen him
before aud had admired him, but she
saw now, with a little start, that it was
the gentleman in gray. who had changed
his tweed for the Objectionable blue.
lie was introduced to her mother, but
Capt. Green did not present him to
Miss Rhodora, which sent a rush OF
blood to her neck and cheeks; it also
broke her silence. and she launched
forth into q brilliant conversation, 50
occupying her mother aud Capt. Greene
that Lieut.. Halstead seemed to have
teen utterly forgotten by them.
Mother" said RIodora, when they
had gone to their rooms, her cheeks
flushed aud her eyes brilliant, 'never
let me be introduced to that Lieut..
Halstead. He has asked not to meet
me.n
"yVhy, my dear, didn't you meet
himp l did not notice. l must have
turned 10 speak to George"
mo; and 1t was very decided"
You must have imagined it, my
dear"
Now, motheri"
''Well, well. as you like, but it is a
foolish freak"
Rhodora was half inclined to tsll her
mother of the remark she had heard as
she passed the group of officers on the
wharf that morning, but she decided
not to speak of it.
Rhodora often detained her mother
that they might be late to dinner or
| t1anI Int nn vuban fhoU would liant
Halstead always seemed to be there.
He ate slowly, and Rhodora declared
that he took everything in courses from
olives to cheese, and that his digestive
apparatus was certainly In excellent
trim, for he ate with fifteen minutes
interval between each mouthful.
When she was invited to join a large
party the next day she adroitly had the
hostess run over the list OF her guests,
and when she found that Lieut.. Hal
stead's name was not among them she
gladly consented to go.
1t WAS after z in the evening when
she returned, tired and hungry, but
| signing with satisfaction TO think that
she could eat a comfortable meal with
out a pair of staring brown eyes oppo-
site.
She had finished her soup when the
hall door opened. Alasl she knew this
firm. decided step too well. George
smilingly pulled out the chair opposite
and Lieut., Halstead seated himself de-
murely.
It was just too bad. Tears of vexa
ton gathered in those large gray eyes.
lie came on purpose to annoy her. He
was the rudest mar she had ever seen.
Her first impulse was to leave the table,
but she would not give him the salts
faction of knowing she was angry;
besides, she was hungry. She would
eat very slowly. She did not care how
miserable she felt if only she could
make him uncomfortable, so with a
studied air of conposure she reached
for the crackers and upset her glass of
water. She didn't care, but it was
rather embarrassing. She was sure he
was smiling. She ate slower than ever,
and looked quits serene gazing off into
space. The room was oppressively
quiet. He was taking an endless time
for his dinner, so she hurried and al
most choked herself, but he seemed to
be hurrylng too, now that she tried to
get through first.
She had Just decided that she could
not endure this a moment longer, yet
determined that he should not have the
satisfaction of having spoiled her din
ner when she heard in sonorous tones:
miss Black, may | trouble you for the
pepper?'
She started, but said, in a frozen
manner ''Certainly," handing him the
catsup.
1.-The pepper, please" he said, smil-
ing, at the same time half withdrawing
his hand from the bottle, while she,
s~upposing he would take it from her,
let 1t slip from her fingers.
81 beg your PARDON" he said, but
not before the brown liquor had deluged
the table.
ut is of no consequence" said Miss
Rhodora, quite confused, then pointing
toward his elbow she said in tragic
tones: There's the pepper!"
$50 1t is" he said, his brown eyes
smiling at her. "It's too bad to have
troubled you"
1t would have been natural for Rho
dora to make some polite response. but
she bit her lip and remained silent.
II presume you had a pleasant barge
partyp" he said, a~greeably.
"Quite pleasant, was the frigid an
swer.
II was out hunting. aud could MT
20. l only came in half an hour sinee.n
He had evidently only had time to
change his hunting suit and come down
TO dinner. Rhodora repented a little;
possibly lie had not come in late for the
purpose of annoying her; still she re-
membered his remark about Detroit
girls and ceased to relent toward HIM.
She had finished her dinner and risen
from the table. Lieut.. Halstead arose
also ana held the dining room door open
for her to pass.
MAY / come into the parlor with
you2" he asked.
There was nothing for her to do but
TO acquIesce. Now that he was her
guest she was obliged to show just the
least air OF cordiality, but she tried to
make her mother bear the burden of the